Law enforcers in Odessa exposed a criminal group, which realized a large-scale fraudulent scheme with the use of fictitious investment platforms, reports the press service of the National police of Ukraine.
“Attackers created websites of non-existent companies, whose names were periodically changed in order to conspire criminal activity, where they placed false information about allegedly entrepreneurial activities in the field of arbitrage advertising traffic and cryptocurrency assets. Potential investors were offered to register personal accounts, where they could choose a certain investment plan, fund their accounts and “receive dividends”. In reality, the funds were immediately accumulated on the controlled crypto wallets of the participants of the fraudulent scheme. Having reached the goal, they stopped communication with the victims”, – is indicated in the message.
According to the investigation, organized “business” 28-year-old resident of Odessa, attracting to its implementation a group of persons, including a specialist in the IT-sector, which created and administered the websites of fictitious companies, as well as “callers” who contacted potential victims. The participants worked both remotely and from specially equipped offices in Odessa, which functioned as call centers.
Law enforcers established a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by the attackers, the total amount of proceeds to which exceeded UAH 24 million in 2024-2025. For conspiracy, the figures controlled it from a private key, which did not belong to any known service or exchange.
“According to preliminary data, the actual number of victims, including foreigners, may exceed 1,500 people, to establish which it is necessary to conduct a number of investigative actions, including in the framework of international cooperation,” – said the police.
To solve the crime, a joint investigative team between the competent authorities of Ukraine and the Republic of Kazakhstan has been created. With the involvement of special units of the NPU, GUNP in Odessa region and employees of the Department of cyberpolice of the Republic of Kazakhstan was conducted a number of searches and seized a number of evidence of illegal activities.
So far, the police have documented illegal activities of the group’s members against seven investors from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and other countries. The damage caused to the investors amounts to $92 thousand.
Investigators detained eight members of the group, another one is wanted. In the presence of sufficient evidence, all the defendants are reported on suspicion of taking possession of other people’s property by deception, i.e. fraud, committed by prior conspiracy of a group of persons, through illegal operations with the use of electronic computers, under martial law, in especially large amounts.
According to the sanction of part 5 of article 190 (fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the perpetrators face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
As global markets remain volatile and central banks shift to more accommodative monetary policies, investors are once again turning to digital assets as an alternative hedge and source of high-risk growth. 2025 has already become one of the most active years for cryptocurrency adoption since 2021 — institutional capital is returning, blockchain technology is maturing, and a new generation of projects is reshaping the industry.
Below is Fixygen’s take on this year’s most attractive cryptocurrencies for investors, based on fundamentals, ecosystem growth, and market dynamics.
1. Ethereum (ETH): the backbone of Web3
Ethereum remains the backbone of decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, and tokenized assets. After the transition to proof-of-stake, network efficiency has improved, and scaling solutions such as Rollups and zkEVMs continue to reduce transaction costs.
Large funds continue to accumulate ETH — it is the closest thing to a “blue chip” in cryptocurrency.
Investment perspective: long-term infrastructure play. Institutional investor confidence is growing, but short-term volatility may persist as competitors strive to create faster and cheaper ecosystems.
2. Solana (SOL): the blockchain’s fast lane
Once criticized for downtime issues, Solana has transformed into one of the fastest and most developer-friendly networks. With near-zero transaction fees and high throughput, it is attracting gaming studios, DeFi protocols, and NFT platforms migrating from Ethereum.
Investment outlook: An asset with the highest growth and strong user metrics. However, decentralization and network stability remain under scrutiny.
3. XRP (Ripple): Betting on cross-border finance
Despite regulatory turbulence in the US, XRP retains its role as an intermediary currency for global remittances. The expansion of Ripple’s network of banking partners in Asia and the Middle East makes it a reliable player in institutional payments.
Investment outlook: a medium-risk financial infrastructure asset. Growth depends on legal clarity and a resumption of corporate adoption.
4. Chainlink (LINK): the DeFi data highway
Chainlink remains the dominant provider of oracles — an important layer connecting real-world data to blockchain ecosystems. The implementation of the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) extends its utility to DeFi, gaming, and tokenized assets.
Investment perspective: Strong fundamentals and robust cross-chain integration. LINK is a play on the continued institutionalization of DeFi infrastructure.
5. Bitcoin Layer-2 projects (e.g., Bitcoin Hyper, Stacks)
As Bitcoin ETFs drive institutional demand, developers are exploring how to extend BTC’s functionality with Layer-2 smart contract systems. Projects such as Bitcoin Hyper aim to bring DeFi and dApps to the Bitcoin ecosystem, effectively transforming it into more than just a “store of value.”
Investment outlook: High-risk, high-potential category. Success depends on technical implementation and ecosystem adoption.
6. The wave of “smart memes”: Speculation meets utility
2025 saw a resurgence of meme coins, but with a twist. New tokens such as PepeNode and Maxi Doge combine humor with useful features such as staking, deflationary supply, and governance models.
Investment perspective: Highly speculative. Momentum-based trading can yield quick profits, but fundamentals remain unstable.
In 2025, cryptocurrency is no longer a playground for retail investors. Institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and technology companies are building a new foundation for blockchain-based finance. The winners will be assets that combine strong fundamentals, regulatory compliance, and scalable ecosystems, as well as investors who view cryptocurrency as a structured portfolio rather than a lottery.
Turkish electric car manufacturer TOGG (Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu) has announced its entry into European markets and the introduction of new digital solutions, including the option to pay for cars with cryptocurrency, according to Autogeek.
According to the report, the company plans to open its first showrooms in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland in 2025, as well as begin sales in other EU markets.
TOGG has already introduced the T10X electric crossover in Europe, which will be the brand’s first mass-produced export vehicle.
Buyers will have access to the innovative digital platform “Trumore,” through which they can place an order, select a configuration, and pay for their purchase — including using cryptocurrency or tokens issued within the TOGG ecosystem.
According to the company’s management, the integration of blockchain payments reflects its digitalization strategy and opens up new opportunities for users by combining electric mobility, fintech, and smart infrastructure.
“We are not just building a car, but a digital ecosystem where transportation, communications, and finance are combined into a single platform,” said TOGG CEO Gürcan Karakaş.
The company already produces electric vehicles at its plant in Gemlik (Bursa province). Production capacity is designed for 175,000 cars per year, with plans to increase this to 1 million units by 2035.
TOGG sees its entry into Europe as a strategic step towards promoting Turkish technology and integrating into the EU market.
European supervisory authorities (EBA, EIOPA, and ESMA – ESA) are warning consumers that crypto assets can be risky and that legal protection, if any, may be limited depending on which crypto assets they invest in.
As reported on the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) website on Monday, the warning is accompanied by an information bulletin that explains what the new EU regulation on crypto-asset markets (MiCA) means for consumers. Specific steps are recommended that consumers can take to make informed decisions before investing in crypto assets, such as checking whether the provider is licensed in the EU.
In addition, consumers are advised to familiarize themselves with the product or service and assess the risk before investing, check whether the crypto-asset service provider is licensed in the EU, and ensure that any wallets used to store their crypto-assets are sufficiently secure. These steps are particularly important at a time when consumer interest in such products and services is growing, partly due to aggressive promotion on social media by finfluencers.
According to the information available, from December 2024, the new EU Regulation on Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) will apply to certain types of crypto-assets and establish a consistent supervisory regime at both national and European levels for issuers and providers of crypto-asset services across the EU.
In London, judicial authorities have confirmed the arrest of Chinese citizen Zhimin Qian (also known as Yadi Zhang), who pleaded guilty to cryptocurrency transactions linked to large-scale fraud.
According to British investigators, Qian ran a financial scheme in China between 2014 and 2017, involving approximately 128,000 victims. She converted the money she received into bitcoins and attempted to launder it through transactions in the UK.
During a search of a house in north London, 61,000 bitcoins were seized, which at the time of the investigation were valued at over £5 billion. This seizure is considered one of the largest in the history of crypto crimes.
Qian pleaded guilty to charges related to the illegal possession, acquisition, and laundering of crypto assets. Her extradition and final sentence are expected later.
This case is significant not only for British law enforcement in the field of cryptocurrencies, but also for global law enforcement cooperation in combating transnational money laundering schemes involving digital assets.
The Fixygen project analyzed all cryptocurrency market trends over the week and prepared an analysis for investors and the media. The cryptocurrency market ended last week with mixed sentiments: leading digital assets showed mixed dynamics, investors continue to assess signals from the US Federal Reserve, the global stock market, and industry news.
According to CoinMarketCap, the total capitalization of the cryptocurrency market at the end of the week was about $2.43 trillion, which is 1.5% higher than seven days ago. At the same time, the daily trading volume remained volatile and fluctuated between $70-90 billion.
Bitcoin rose to $66,000 during the week, but corrected to $64,500 on Friday, which is 0.7% lower than the previous week. Analysts note that the asset is holding in the $63,000–67,000 range, and the key driver for further movement will remain the dynamics of US inflation and expectations regarding interest rates.
Ethereum, amid news of growing interest from institutional players, managed to rise above $2,600, but failed to consolidate above this level — the week ended with a quote of $2,550. As a result, the asset showed moderate growth of about 2.1%.
Altcoins behaved in different ways. Solana rose in price by almost 5% amid increased activity in the ecosystem of decentralized applications. Ripple and Cardano added about 1%, while Dogecoin and Shiba Inu fell within the range of 2-3%.
Stablecoins maintained their positions: USDT’s share in the market structure remains at 68%, indicating high liquidity and continued cautious demand from investors.
Experts emphasize that the cryptocurrency market continues to react to the macroeconomic situation and news about regulation. In particular, discussions of new rules for disclosing information about digital assets in the US are putting pressure on short-term expectations.
In the medium term, market participants will focus on upcoming US employment reports, Fed minutes, and global inflation statistics. These factors could set the direction for Bitcoin and key altcoins in October.
Thus, last week on the crypto market was a period of relative stabilization with limited fluctuations, while in the coming weeks, investors are waiting for new drivers for growth or correction.
Source: https://www.fixygen.ua/news/20251003/nedelnyy-analiz-rynka-kriptovalyut-ot-fixygen.html
